Fondazione Monte dei Paschi di Siena

What Fondazione Monte dei Paschi di Siena does

Fondazione Monte dei Paschi di Siena (FMPS) is an Italian banking foundation (fondazione di origine bancaria) established under D. Lgs. 17 maggio 1999, n.153, with historical roots in Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena (founded 1472). Headquartered in Siena, the foundation is a non-profit grant-making institution pursuing social utility objectives across three thematic areas: territorial research and development, culture/identity/tourism, and social inclusion. Annual approved contributions run in the millions of euros, allocated roughly 57% to R&D, 24% to welfare, and 19% to arts and culture over the most recent three-year average. All programs are free to beneficiaries and funded by the foundation's endowment.

The foundation operates an integrated portfolio of educational and social-innovation programs delivered through a Siena-based team of 11–50 staff. Flagship initiatives include sCOOLFOOD+ and sCOOLFOOD Smart (civic education reaching nearly 23,000 students in 2024/25), the IKIGAI platform (career orientation, individual grants up to €6,000 for under-36s, and startup seed investments up to €30,000), Fondazione SAIHUB ETS (AI applied to Life Sciences, co-founded in 2022 with the University of Siena, Comune di Siena, Confindustria Toscana Sud, and Fondazione Toscana Life Sciences), the SAIHUB Fellowship and Summer School, Siena Food Lab, the Consiglio dei Giovani youth council, and GUESS sustainable-event training. Palazzo Sansedoni functions as both a cultural venue and the foundation's collection site.

FMPS does not develop proprietary technology products and earns no commercial revenue; its 'product' is grantmaking and program delivery. The foundation leverages a dense partner ecosystem spanning Italian ministries (MIM), FAO, major NGOs (WWF, Oxfam Italia, Action Aid), scientific bodies (Fondazione Barilla, ASViS), and academic partners (University of Siena, Santa Chiara Lab, Ecodynamics Group), as well as industry associations (PHILEA, ACRI, Confindustria Toscana Sud, The European House Ambrosetti, Ashoka Italia). Governance is led by President Carlo Rossi, with sub-brand leadership distributed across the operating programs.

Name

Fondazione Monte dei Paschi di Siena

Legal name

Fondazione Monte dei Paschi di Siena

Website

https://fondazionemps.it

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Fondazione Monte dei Paschi di Siena is an Italian banking foundation (founded 1999) that grants millions of euros annually across R&D, welfare, and culture, running education, youth acceleration, and AI/Life Sciences programs in Tuscany.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Charitable Banking Foundation

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Foundation/NGO & Philanthropic Scholarships (EDAIAOAH), Dropout Prevention, Alternative Education & Re-Engagement Nonprofits (BPAGADAL)

Keywords

• Charitable foundation grants
• Banking foundation philanthropy
• Education program funding
• Youth career orientation
• Territorial research development

Headquarters

HQ city

Siena

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Fondazione Monte dei Paschi di Siena is a banking foundation that disburses grants and runs free educational, social, cultural, and research programs in Tuscany. Its core offerings include the sCOOLFOOD and sCOOLFOOD Smart civic education programs for schools, the IKIGAI platform of career orientation, scholarships (IKIGAI Talenti, up to 6,000 euros) and startup seed investments (IKIGAI Startup Academy & Hub, up to 30,000 euros) for under-36 youth, and the Fondazione SAIHUB ecosystem advancing AI applied to Life Sciences through fellowships and summer schools. All programs are provided free of charge to beneficiaries and are funded from the foundation's endowment.

Product overview

Fondazione Monte dei Paschi di Siena operates as a banking foundation offering a portfolio of educational and social innovation programs. The core offerings include sCOOLFOOD+ and sCOOLFOOD Smart (civic education programs for schools), IKIGAI Scuole/Talenti/Startup (professional acceleration platform), Fondazione SAIHUB with SAIHub Fellowship Program and Summer School (AI and Life Sciences), Siena Food Lab (agri-food innovation), Consiglio dei Giovani (youth engagement), and GUESS (sustainable events training). The foundation also supports cultural projects like Palazzo Sansedoni initiatives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• IKIGAI: Program of entrepreneurial and professional acceleration for youth in Siena province, providing career orientation, study grants up to 6,000 euros for under-36s, and seed investments up to 30,000 euros for startups.
• sCOOLFOOD
• sCOOLFOOD Smart
• Fondazione SAIHub

Products and services

• sCOOLFOOD+ Civic education program for primary and secondary schools in the provinces of Siena, Arezzo, Grosseto, and select municipalities in Bari and Barletta-Andria-Trani, covering sustainable development, global citizenship, human rights, life skills, and cultural diversity, integrated into the school curriculum.
• sCOOLFOOD Smart National civic education program open to all primary schools across Italy, offering free lessons and activities on sustainability, inclusion, and social and economic development aligned with the UN 2030 Agenda SDGs.
• IKIGAI Scuole Career orientation program for upper secondary school students (years III-V) in Siena province, featuring workshops with tutors, career path assessment, and activities conducted using the SORPRENDO platform and Career Management Skills (CMS) methodology, with Summer Schools held at Santa Chiara Lab.
• IKIGAI Talenti Scholarship program providing contributions of up to 6,000 euros for professional growth projects, including training on-the-job, advanced courses, and professional training for young people under 36 residing or studying in the provinces of Siena, Grosseto, and Arezzo.
• IKIGAI Startup Academy & Hub Incubation and acceleration program for new innovative enterprises, providing seed investments up to 30,000 euros, pre-acceleration programs, and entrepreneurial training for founders in the Tuscan territory.
• Fondazione SAIHUB Foundation dedicated to strengthening the Sienese and Tuscan economic ecosystem of Life Sciences through artificial intelligence introduction, technology transfer, and dissemination of scientific and professional skills.
• SAIHub Fellowship Program Fellowship program providing 30 economic incentives of 1,500 euros each for first-year master's degree students in STEM and Life Sciences fields at the University of Siena, including workshops, collaborations, and company visits.
• Summer School of AI and Life Sciences Annual summer school program spanning four cities across Tuscany (Siena, Volterra, Florence, Grosseto), offering hands-on labs, workshops, guided visits, and expert meetings on AI applications in biotechnology and biomedical fields for high school students.
• Siena Food Lab Three-year agri-food innovation project developed with Santa Chiara Lab and the Italian Secretariat of the PRIMA program, focused on technological, organizational, and social innovation in the agrifood sector.
• Consiglio dei Giovani (Youth Council) Youth civic engagement and empowerment initiative providing a forum for young people aged 16-30 to participate in dialogue with institutions and develop ideas for community improvement, in collaboration with Comune di Siena and Impresa Sociale Generazione T.
• GUESS (Gruppo Urbano Eventi Sostenibili Siena) Capacity building program for the green transition of public cultural organizations and creative enterprises, offering free online training on sustainable event management with Open Badges certification.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 23,000 students engaged in civic education programs (sCOOLFOOD+) in the 2024/25 school year
• +4 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

32 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship, major and minor.

• Università di SienacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFondazione MPS collaborates extensively with the University of Siena across multiple programs including the SAIHUB Fellowship (scholarships for STEM students), IKIGAI Scuole (career orientation), SAIHUB research co-funding, and joint governance of Fondazione SAIHUB. The university is a founding member of Fondazione SAIHUB.
• Fondazione SAIHUB ETScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFondazione SAIHUB is a participation foundation established at the end of 2022, with Fondazione MPS as a founding member alongside the University of Siena, Comune di Siena, Confindustria Toscana Sud, Fondazione Toscana Life Sciences, and the SAIHUB Business Network (QuestIT, SILOG, Terranova Software, Imola Informatica, Mediavoice). SAIHUB promotes AI applied to Life Sciences and is governed by a Management Council including FMPS representative Stefano Chiellini.
• Azienza USL Toscana Sud EstcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAzienda USL Toscana Sud Est is a project partner (partner progettuale) of sCOOLFOOD and a member of Fondazione SAIHUB as an ordinary member (Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Senese), supporting health-related educational content and the AI/Life Sciences ecosystem.
• Ministero dell'Istruzione e del Merito (MIM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Italian Ministry of Education and Merit is a project partner (partner progettuale) of sCOOLFOOD, providing institutional endorsement and alignment with national civic education curricula and the Piano RiGenerazione Scuola.
• FAO – Organizzazione delle Nazioni Unite per l'Alimentazione e l'AgricolturaflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerFAO is a project partner of sCOOLFOOD, providing international institutional credibility and alignment with UN sustainable food systems goals for the school-based civic education program.
• Fondazione BarillamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFondazione Barilla is a scientific partner (partner scientifico) of sCOOLFOOD, contributing expertise in food, nutrition, and sustainable food systems to the program's educational content.
• Fondazione Valter LongomajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFondazione Valter Longo is a scientific partner of sCOOLFOOD, providing research-based insights on nutrition and healthy eating for the school program.
• Alleanza Italiana per lo Sviluppo Sostenibile (ASViS)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerASViS is a project partner of sCOOLFOOD, bringing alignment with Italy's sustainable development agenda and the UN 2030 Agenda to the program's educational content.
• Slow Food ToscanamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSlow Food Toscana is a scientific partner of sCOOLFOOD, contributing expertise in sustainable food culture and food heritage for the civic education program.
• Club per l'UNESCO di TorinomajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerClub per l'UNESCO di Torino is a scientific partner of sCOOLFOOD, contributing expertise in cultural heritage, intercultural dialogue, and global citizenship education.
• Ecodynamics Group – Università di SienamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEcodynamics Group of the University of Siena is a scientific partner of sCOOLFOOD, providing environmental sustainability research expertise for the program's educational materials.
• World Wildlife Fund (WWF)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWWF is a scientific partner of sCOOLFOOD, contributing biodiversity and environmental conservation expertise to the school program.
• Action Aid ItaliamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAction Aid Italia is a scientific partner of sCOOLFOOD, providing expertise in human rights, global citizenship, and social justice for the educational program.
• Oxfam ItaliamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOxfam Italia is a scientific partner of sCOOLFOOD, contributing expertise in global inequalities, fair trade, and sustainable development for the school program.
• Legambiente ToscanamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLegambiente Toscana is a scientific partner of sCOOLFOOD, providing environmental sustainability expertise for the civic education program.
• We World OnlusmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWe World Onlus is a scientific partner of sCOOLFOOD, contributing expertise in social inclusion, children's rights, and gender equality for the school program.
• ACRAmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerACRA is a scientific partner of sCOOLFOOD, providing international development and humanitarian expertise for the civic education program.
• Lega Ambiente ToscanamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLega Ambiente Toscana is a scientific partner of sCOOLFOOD, contributing environmental protection and sustainability expertise.
• Last Minute MarketmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLast Minute Market is a scientific partner of sCOOLFOOD, providing expertise in food waste reduction and sustainable food supply chains.
• Santa Chiara Lab – Università di SienacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSanta Chiara Lab is an operational partner (partner operativo) of sCOOLFOOD and hosts IKIGAI Scuole Summer Schools. It also collaborates on the Siena Food Lab project and is the venue for the 'Scienze della Vita. Vite di Scienza' event.
• FONDAZIONE TOSCANA LIFE SCIENCEScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFondazione Toscana Life Sciences is a founding member of Fondazione SAIHUB and a long-standing project partner of FMPS in the Life Sciences sector, supporting research from basic science to industrial application.
• Confindustria Toscana SudcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConfindustria Toscana Sud is a founding member of Fondazione SAIHUB and a partner in youth career orientation, having signed an agreement with SAIHUB to connect students with local businesses.
• Centro Studi PluriversumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCentro Studi Pluriversum is a strategic partner in IKIGAI Scuole, providing the SORPRENDO career orientation platform, European CMS methodology, and co-developing career development tools alongside The European House Ambrosetti.
• The European House AmbrosetticoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe European House Ambrosetti provides the 'My Future Today' career development software and consulting for IKIGAI Scuole, contributing high-level strategic consulting expertise to the youth orientation program.
• Ashoka ItaliacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAshoka Italia is a partner in IKIGAI Scuole, contributing expertise in social innovation and youth entrepreneurship to the career orientation program.
• Comune di SienacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerComune di Siena is a founding member of Fondazione SAIHUB and a partner in GUESS (sustainable cultural events) and the Youth Council (Consiglio dei Giovani) project, alongside the local youth policy assessorate.
• Fondazione Polo Universitario GrossetanomajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFondazione Polo Universitario Grossetano serves as the host venue for the Grosseto edition of the SAIHUB Summer School, providing facilities for AI and Life Sciences training for high school students.
• FONDAZIONE VITA – ITS per le Nuove Tecnologie della VitacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFondazione VITA is the operational coordinator of the SAIHUB Summer School, providing technical and logistical execution of the AI and Life Sciences summer programs across Tuscan locations.
• QuestITcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerQuestIT is the lead company of the SAIHUB Business Network and a founding member of Fondazione SAIHUB, representing the AI company consortium that drives the Life Sciences AI ecosystem.
• Impresa Sociale Generazione TmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGenerazione T is a social enterprise partner in the 'Uno Sguardo Giovane' (Youth Council) project, providing co-design methodology and youth empowerment expertise for the participatory governance initiative.
• PHILEAminorOthersPHILEA is a European philanthropy association of which Fondazione MPS is a member, providing peer networking and best practice exchange among European foundations.
• ACRIminorOthersACRI is the Italian association of banking foundations (Associazione di Fondazioni e di Casse di Risparmio), of which Fondazione MPS is a member, operating under the ACRI-MEF Protocol of 22 April 2015.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Wellcome Trust: Large UK charitable foundation focused on research, education, and culture with a programmatic structure analogous to Fondazione MPS but at materially greater scale and global reach.
• VolkswagenStiftung: German philanthropic foundation funding research and education at national and international scale; comparable as a large foundation with programmatic research and education funding, though with a corporate-origin rather than banking-origin model.

Others

• ACRI: Italian association of banking foundations of which Fondazione MPS is a member; comparable as a peer-organization in the regulatory and operational framework that defines how Italian banking foundations operate.

Direct peers

• Fondazione CRT: Turin-based banking foundation with overlapping grantmaking activities in education, culture, and welfare, and equivalent institutional governance under the Italian banking-foundation regime.
• Fondazione Cariplo: One of Italy's largest banking foundations (fondazione di origine bancaria), operating across arts, education, research, and social welfare with a comparable multi-program structure and grantmaking model to Fondazione MPS.
• Fondazione con il Sud: Italian grantmaking foundation focused on social infrastructure and youth empowerment in Southern Italy; comparable as a national grantmaking foundation operating program-based initiatives rather than direct service delivery.
• Fondazione CRC: Banking foundation from Cassa di Risparmio di Cuneo with a comparable regulatory foundation structure and grantmaking model across culture, education, and welfare.
• Fondazione Compagnia di San Paolo: Major Italian banking foundation operating grants across research, education, welfare, and culture; directly comparable in mission, regulatory framework, and programmatic scale to Fondazione MPS.
• Fondazione Cariparma: Italian banking foundation (Cassa di Risparmio di Parma e Piacenza) operating in welfare, education, and culture, with a comparable institutional model and grantmaking scope.

Regional players

• Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Firenze: Tuscan banking foundation operating grants in education, research, and culture; shares the same regional territory and regulatory framework, making it a directly comparable Tuscan counterpart to Fondazione MPS.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/fondazionemps
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/FondazioneMPS
• Facebookfacebook.com/fondazionemps
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fondazione-mps
• Instagraminstagram.com/fondazionemps
• Pinterestpinterest.it/fondazionemps/_created

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments2 records

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Frequently asked questions about Fondazione Monte dei Paschi di Siena